Steve Bannon says "no regrets" about defying subpoena, going to prison

What he's saying: Bannon told ABC's Jonathan Karl that he will continue his efforts to appeal his conviction — arguing he was following his lawyer's advice when he resisted the subpoena — but says he feels "great" about serving prison time.

• "I'm serving my country right now as a political prisoner," he said, adding that a stay behind bars at the low-security federal prison will not "suppress my voice."
• "If it took me going to prison to finally get the House to start to move, to start to delegitimize the illegitimate J6 committee, then...my going to prison is worth it," he said.
• Bannon's pre-taped interview aired on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday.

Bannon defended his often violent calls to action and threats of retribution — rhetoric Trump has echoed on the campaign trail. He said he speaks to the former president "frequently enough" and that many of their discussions are worked into the presumptive GOP nominee's speeches.

• He named several former administration and intelligence officials — including former FBI director James Comey, FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, former Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley and former Attorney General Bill Barr — who have criticized Trump and should be "very worried."
• Bannon said are "definitely going to be investigated" should the former president reclaim the White House.
• "It's not retribution at all," Bannon argued. He continued: "What we're saying is we want justice — we want to have full investigations...if criminal charges come up, then criminal charges come up."
• He reaffirmed comments made on his podcast, "War Room," about Attorney General Merrick Garland, saying he will "100%" be in prison.

Bannon suggested he will accept the results of the upcoming election if there are "certifiable, chain of custody" votes "from American citizens" but said that until then, "all bets are off."

Catch up quick: Bannon was convicted and sentenced in 2022 for defying a subpoena from the select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

• He cited executive privilege for failure to turn over documents or sit for a deposition, but Bannon had been a private citizen since leaving the White House in 2017.
• Bannon's conviction — which he has repeatedly appealed in an effort to dismiss the case— was upheld by a federal appeals court last month.

The big picture: The "War Room" host has remained defiant in the face of his punishment and has regularly appeared on the GOP's campaign trail, raising eyebrows recently at the Turning Point Action convention with a rallying cry of "Victory or Death!"

• "Are you prepared to give it all? Are you prepared to leave it all on the battlefield?" he asked attendees.
• "It's a famous saying," he said when pressed by Karl about the comment.

Go deeper: Bannon charged with money laundering in border wall fundraising case